What to do in Madison this weekend: Aug. 27-30, 2026

Orton Park Festival, 'The Sun Never Sets' and more Isthmus Picks

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Arts

  • Women's Equality Day Celebration, Thursday, Aug. 27, Goodman Community Center-Brassworks, 5 p.m.: The Wisconsin Women's Network gathers each year near the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to celebrate gains in equity for women, and make connections to help advance the work that still needs to be done. The theme for this year's Women's Equality Day Celebration is “Building the Next Generation of Leaders,” and the evening features a panel of leaders from around the state discussing mentorship, community and more. Find tickets at wiwomensnetwork.org.
  • Supertanker, Thursday, Aug. 27, High Noon Saloon, 5 p.m.: Veteran Madison quartet Supertanker plays a variety of shades of rock on their most recent album, Broiler. From the blues-soaked title cut to crunchy harmony pop like the single “Internet Declaration of Love” or self-explanatorily fired up “E=MC5,” their songs are catchy and well-constructed enough to be an earworm danger. They will celebrate the release of the album on LP at this free patio show.
  • David R. Harper, through Aug. 30, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: “Good Morning Sweetheart,” a new exhibition by artist David R. Harper, is described by MMoCA as a look at “how memory takes shape in objects.” In Harper’s creative world, that includes a couch and related objects suspended in the Icon staircase, and the State Street Gallery filled with familiar materials remixed in unexpected ways. The exhibition will likely reward lingering, sinking into the mood, and deciding on your own interpretation of its meaning.
  • UFA Championship Weekend, Aug. 27-28, Breese Stevens Field: At the professional level, ultimate frisbee is fast, physical and ridiculously athletic — with the kind of diving catches and long throws that make what most of us did with a disc in college seem like an entirely different activity. The Ultimate Frisbee Association brings its final four — Austin, Minnesota, New York and Oakland — to Breese Stevens Field, with semifinals at 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27. An all-star game between the Western and Premiere women’s ultimate leagues at 4 p.m. is followed by the championship match at 7 p.m. Aug. 28. The weekend is hosted by the Madison Radicals, who this season were knocked out of the playoffs on July 26. Tickets at shopufa.com.
  • The Sun Never Sets, Thursday, Aug. 27, UW Cinematheque, 7 p.m.: Following the loss of its summer slate due to air conditioning issues on campus, film fans will be happy to learn that UW Cinematheque’s fall season will get rolling on schedule. Thursdays again will feature Madison premieres of recent films, kicking off with an acclaimed indie, The Sun Never Sets. It’s the first film from director Joe Swanberg in about a decade, and tells the story of an Alaskan couple who decide to take a break to make sure commitment is in their future. Complications ensue. IndieWire calls the film “a masterful portrait of humanity’s inability to figure out what we actually want at any given time.” Swanberg will attend the screening. Read Grant Phipps preview of the semester's schedule here, and find the full list at cinema.wisc.edu.
  • Justin Alan Payne, Thursday, Aug. 27, Yahara Bay Distillers, Fitchburg, 7:30 p.m.: Singer-songwriter Justin Alan Payne is based in Nashville, and, yes, there is a bit of country in the sound of his latest album, Moonflower. But there’s also soul and rock and a bit of show-tuney swing for good measure in the Ohio native’s sound. It’s all about where the song leads, and his versatile, emotive vocals tie it all together. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • Middleton Good Neighbor Festival, Aug. 28-30, by Middleton High School: The Good Neighbor Festival makes a convincing case why Middleton has earned accolades such as being named the "Best Place to Live” by Money magazine in 2007. Returning in a new location adjacent to Middleton High School, the three-day celebration embraces a playful "Greetings from South Beach" theme while serving up everything that has made it a tradition: live music, a parade, a 5K run/walk, an art and craft fair, food, family activities and plenty of hometown spirit. The festival also honors residents through the annual Good Neighbor Award. Find the schedule at goodneighborfestival.com.
  • Orton Park Festival, Aug. 28-30, Orton Park: Wait, it’s already almost time for Orton? As usual, summer has flown by in Madison; we hope your season has been as graceful as the performers of Cycropia Aerial Dance, who close Friday and Saturday at Orton Park Festival. You’ll also want to plan to settle in for a lot of good music: Top flight visitors The Sadies, Sharp Pins and Blair Crimmins & the Hookers and local heroes Kat and the Hurricane, Graham Hunt and Jane Hobson are all in the lineup. There is much other musical fun, many vendors and yummy food all weekend at this east side favorite. Find the full schedule at facebook.com/OrtonParkFest.
  • Dane Dances, Fridays, through Aug. 28, Monona Terrace rooftop, 5:30-9:30 p.m.: The positive, celebratory and inclusive atmosphere that Dane Dances brings to Madison each summer is needed more than ever this August. And the volunteer-led series is more than delivering with a packed entertainment lineup; the final week features Orquesta SalSoul del Mad and Cold Sweat & the Brew City Horns. Each week features a DJ and dance lessons at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and food will be available. Find more info on the bands and volunteer opportunities at danedances.org.
  • North Star Dance Theatre, Aug. 28-29, Madison Youth Arts: North Star Dance Theatre presents “Dusk,” an evening of original ballet and contemporary dance with some emotional weight. Choreographers Jacob Ashley, Rachelle Butler, Juan Carlos Diaz-Velez, Bri Lucey and Malachi Squires explore “love, loss, and the impact they have on the people that they touch,” as described in the company’s promotional material. Led by Shannon Quirk and Squires, the new Madison-based collective describes their goals as “sharing dance with new communities, creating innovative storytelling works, and building meaningful connections through the power of movement, creativity, and collaboration.” Performances at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 and 2 and 7 p.m. Aug. 29; tickets at northstardancetheatre.com.
  • Tuesdays with Morrie, Aug. 28-30, Madison Youth Arts: There are worse ways to spend a Tuesday than learning how to live. As in the book, the stage adaptation of Mitch Albom's bestselling memoir Tuesdays with Morrie follows the journalist as he reconnects with a former professor who is dying from ALS. There are lessons on love, family, forgiveness, death, and all the other things most of us would rather put off thinking about. Madison theater veteran Allen Ebert (executive director of Children’s Theater of Madison) plays Mitch opposite Michigan actor Ben Zylman as Morrie. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 and 2 p.m. Aug. 29-30; tickets at tuesdaywithmorrie.ludus.com.
  • Thee Chakari Daezhare Jamboree, Friday, Aug. 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: This is the fifth iteration of this annual variety show hosted and curated by Madison chanteuse Chakari Daezhare. It’s a safe space with music, burlesque and more. On the bill: Plezher, Neimo Cristál, J Clark, Basal Jones, T Gotti and Marlo Wilbourn. Expect sexy, creative energy all around in this celebration of artistry and growth. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • John McCutcheon, Friday, Aug. 28, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: Multi-instrumentalist and folk singer John McCutcheon — a Wausau native and co-founder of the first traveling musicians union, Local 1000 — has released dozens of albums since 1977. And with gigs already scheduled into 2027, the 73-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. Whether he’s performing socially conscious songs for adults or smart and catchy children’s songs, McCutcheon’s storytelling resonates. The man is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and he’s not too shabby on guitar, banjo and harmonica, either. No wonder Johnny Cash called him “the most impressive multi-instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.” Tickets at theatwoodmusichall.com.
  • Janmashtami, Saturday, Aug. 29, Sun Prairie West High School PAC, 2-8 p.m.: You don’t have to know much about Janmashtami to know this sounds like a great party. The holiday is a Hindu celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna, hosted by the Association of Indians of Sun Prairie. The afternoon features music and dance performances, food, kids’ activities, and traditional activities such as Dahi Handi, in which participants build a human pyramid to be the first to reach and break open a curd-filled pot. For more information and tickets, visit indiansofsunprairie.org.
  • Dogstar, Saturday, Aug. 29, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: It’s easy to forget that Keanu Reeves isn’t just a blockbuster movie star; he’s also a musician who has played bass in Dogstar since 1991. (For context, that’s the same year Point Break and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey were released.) The alternative rock band released All In Now in May ­— its fourth album, following a breakup in 2002 and a reunion two decades later. Reeves and drummer Robert Mailhouse drive Dogstar, but singer Bret Domrose delivers the emotion behind the band, recalling the vocal stylings of Bono and The Killers’ Brandon Flowers. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • PaulPalooza, Sunday, Aug. 30, Lake Louie Brewing, Verona, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: This all-ages party includes lawn games, kids' activities and art projects, a raffle, info on adaptive sports, and plenty of music: Stella-Ames, Mark Croft, Danny Glover & the Lethal Weapons, Some Assembly Required and Alpha Romeos. PaulPalooza is a fundraiser for Paul's Party, a nonprofit (named in honor of Paul Natzke, born with spina bifida and who died at age 15), providing recreational opportunities and equipment for kids with physical disabilities. Find more info at paulsparty.org.
  • Poetry for Corey, Sunday, Aug. 30, A Room of One’s Own, 5:30 p.m.: Verse becomes a gateway to advocate for justice and honor the life of Corey Ruiz, the 38-year-old Madison man killed by a Madison police officer on July 22. Naa Asheley Ashitey, Steven Espada Dawson, Nicholas Gulig and Sadia Hassan share their work, and A Room of One’s Own will offer a discount coupon in exchange for donations to Ruiz’s family.
  • Alabama Shakes, Sunday, Aug. 30, Breese Stevens Field, 6 p.m.: Bluesy, gospelly, soulful southern rock fronted by the vocals of the exquisitely tuneful Brittany Howard — Alabama Shakes refuses to be pinned down to a single genre. The group reunited in 2024 (after a hiatus beginning in 2018) and has a new album, I Must Be Dreaming, out Aug. 28. They’re at Breese during a Midwestern tour that encompasses both tony Ravinia in the Chicago 'burbs and the Surly Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. Hannah Cohen, a warbler who plays mellow indie country-folk pop, opens. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • The Fretliners, Sunday, Aug. 30, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Too many string bands surrender their music to blazing displays of technical, show-offy prowess. Bill Monroe called this, “taking the flavor out of the gum.” While technical monsters on their instruments, The Fretliners put the flavor (and the heart) front and center. Keeping it real is a big reason they captured best band titles at the Telluride and RockyGrass music festivals in 2023. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.